Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-05-17
WHY 1 WEAR GLAs5Es.

alone amid the fields and woods than
meet the most noted OF human beings,
1t was this preference that invited
Inc to SO many wanderings while out
West. l had nothing to do, and the
prairie seemed charming. So, becom-
ing more and more used to the shot
gun, l had many and delightful
ramblings about the surrounding
country.
Sometimes a party was formed, and
we hired team from one of the two
stables in the vicinity, and went to
more remote parts; ard usually from
such trips we returned laden with the
latest specimens of ducks, prairie
and & sesc. AT other times |
would have luncheon put up, and
starting off early in the morning, was
gone all day.
On the shore l one day saw a light
green hunting boat hauled up, and
turned upside down. forthwith took
possession. being quite contcnted to
remain in ignorance OF its owner, as
such ignorance afforded me bliss.
One day, during o trip in which |
had strayed little farther away than
usual, an occurrence happened that
showed me how necessary it is to have
good sight.
| was some three miles from where
l had started The day was all that
could be acknowledgements and with
the gentlest OF breezes. | had gained
a sandy point of land, and had drawn
the boat up so that il would not he
washed away by the action Of the
waves, and was lying beneath the
shade afforded by the tall rushes and
grass that grew higher up on the bank
A few "bell divers kind OF duck
that it is almost impossible to Shoot,
owing to the 9uickness with which
they disappear when fired at-were
toatlng around short distance out,
just beyond range. | was waiting,
hoping they might come nearer the
shore and give me chance to test my
accuracy of aim.
My hopes were all in vain, and | be-
gan to think | must be content with a
few plover | had managed to bag
earlier in the day. Then u thought
struck me. Around bend in the
point, and separated from the main
land by a narrow sheet OF water. was
a small mud bar covered with tall and
thick PUSHES. knew this was always
the, resting place of mallards, and
had seen geese ranged along the shore
l thought l would stroll cautiously
around the bend and see if | could mo-,
come suddenly upon some sort of
game.
With this end in view made my
self ready for the venture. Geese in
general. and wild geese in particular,
are exceedingly shy birds. On "break
ing"wherc the wheat and corn are be-
ginning to sprout, it is next to impossi-
Die to get near them. | have Worn al
most all the buttons off my vest in
crawling, snake fashion, over the prai-
rie, behind bushes and along in the
trough of burrows, trying to approach
near enough to get shot ct them with
rifle, but in every case have Jailed
it has indeed proved wild goose
chase. Still, | have shot them,
though l confess l took them un
awares.
l may have reached halt the dis
lance around the point when | heard
that note of warning which 7 had by
this time learned so well Their,
seemed to be some doubt expressed ir
it, as If the goose were undecidcc
whether to beat retreat or stand aut
wait further Developments.
l fear that was in the same predic.
ament. l cooked both barrels Of ny
gun, and carrying it as Sam had in
structed me (Sam Yves the Dakota far
mer with whom | was staying.)
crept along as noisclcssly rs possible
through the thickest of the tall grass
knew pretty well where the gees,
were, and located them with an in
stinct that would have done credit t.
FaH Sans dog. | worked agains
odoa However, for the land slopet
downward, and this made my approach
d. hly hard. When at last, after inf
NJ caution, reached their haunt, the
entire flock rose in the air and sailed
mockingly away.
| was disconsoatc watching the flu
gitives, and wondering if they were
now really too frightened to trus,
themselves again upon the ground
when there went whirlng past two
geese of the same variety as those
which had eluded me. They were in
an awful hurry to get somewhere, sc
it appeared at that moment. Partly
from natural habit had of dropping
to everything, and partly from the fac,
that Sam had told me that in just sucl
cases | should drop, l squatled down
in the grass again. AS the geese wer.
at that moment going over the edge o
the bank, this movement of mine made
it appear that they were nearer thu
ground than they really were, and
supposed in consequence that they
were going to alight close by.
after all,' I thought, 81 sha!
have another opportunity to shoot"
They appeared to have already set
tied, as they were out of sight behind
the bank, so | felt that | could now
move without doing any great harm.
Instead of going to the top OF the bank
and looking down, | went around the
bend, using the caution that so well
becomes q Nimrod.
Sure enough, when had gained the
coveted position. / saw the gray head
and long neck OF one of the geese re-
garding me intently from out a bunch
or the tall rushes. was taken abacls
at this boldpess. had counted on the
birds flying as soon as they saw me,
and was already tor them, and too
near to miss. But his standing there,
observing me first with one eye and
then with the other, twisting his neck
in his endeavors to make out who and
what l really was, was so comical
that for the moment | forgot l carried